Letter to Samuel Peters
by Carolyn Janowski

Letter to Samuel Peters, London
October 16, 1789
From The Reverend Doctor William White
Philadelphia

Dear Sir:

I must tell you that the great work begun under the hand of God is now completed. It is very right that we should give thanks to God for his grace during this most excellent labor. As the Psalmist wrote " Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord" and again, "Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness". How can I describe the mighty act that the Spirit accomplished with our convention here in Philadelphia? Clearly, each delegate was touched by the Spirit of God, as each man worked diligently in love, showing forth the fruit of the Spirit and love of Christ, working together in unity with all gentleness. I praise the Lord for His help in accomplishing what His Church has not seen until today, a Prayer Book dedicated in Godly love and without the shedding of innocent blood.

May I remind you that the blood of the martyrs from William Tyndall to William Laud cry out that this Holy Book has been brought forth in sin until now? Since it’s inception in 1549, England has known nothing but strife, pain and death in regards to the institution of the Prayer Book. How can it be that such a Holy Book be so maligned by all sides? When the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, began this work for Edward VI, how could he have known the suffering that would follow his work? Since that time, this Book has been caught in ongoing struggle between the Puritans and the High Churchmen. Without exception, each consecutive revision of this Holy Work has been declared both blasphemous and too Roman as well as too liberal and watered down. Over the years, the issues remained unchanged. The Puritans were strictly opposed to such practices as infant baptism, home baptisms, the wedding ring and the churching of women, all of which were considered quite important to the established leaders of the Church of England. The more conservative leaders strongly opposed any changes which attempted to pacify the Puritans. Several new editions were brought forth between 1549 and the Elizabethan Book of 1662 due to the unrest caused by their differences. Much innocent blood was shed as those who wore the crown shifted from one extreme to the other. One could never know which way the pendulum would fall; today’s favored bishop could very well be tomorrow’s martyr.

Thanks be to God that in His providence He has brought us to a land where His work may continue, uninterrupted by the tides of political power. I do not hesitate to tell you that we consider it a blessing that our leaders have provided for a separation between politics and religion. This, together with the other recent political developments, made it necessary to start the Great and Holy Work of procuring a truly American Prayer Book.

In addition to the 1662 Prayer Book, several other sources were considered when we began this work. We leaned heavily on a Scottish influence, particularly on the "Wee Bookies" which have been used in Scotland for quite some time. We also considered the ill fated Prayer Book which our Southern brethren had developed some three years ago. Although it was never consecrated, the delegates found that many aspects of their book were truly inspired and saw fit to include them in our work. I would be remiss if I did not also mention the support of our brethren in faith across the ocean. From the very beginning, we have been conscience of your prayers and good wishes. Through all of the turmoil of the past several years, we have held onto the bond which connects us. We continue to highly regard your opinions and direction on church matters. During this process, we have considered your letters and have made every effort to avoid changes that would cause offense. All was done with sincere prayer and in all soberness.

It is unquestionable that this Prayer Book will be accepted in Godly love much in the same way that it was conceived. I fully expect to see that on October 1 of next year, this book shall become the standard by which future generations find prayer and worship alive in the Protestant Episcopal Church in these newly formed United States of America. Let us thank our Lord together for His grace in allowing His work to be accomplished without bloodshed. Let us never forget that the Lord Jesus Himself said "without Me ye can do nothing". The Psalmist also wrote, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it". We are all in agreement that this holy work was only completed by the will of God. For "we are the clay, and Thou art the potter, and we are all the work of Thy hand". To God be the Glory.

Sources:

King James Bible

The Real Prayer Book by William Snydor

http://ushistory.org/tour/_bishop

http://www.hillsdale.edu/academics/phil&rel/biography

http://www.episcopalian.org/pbs1928/

http://www.towson.edu

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/